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JUST IN | Hamas fires rocket at Israel's second airport near Eilat

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Exterior view. Ramon Airport, Eilat, Israel. Architect: Mann Shinar Architects, 2019.
Exterior view. Ramon Airport, Eilat, Israel. Architect: Mann Shinar Architects, 2019.
View Pictures/Hufton+Crow/Universal Images Group v

Hamas on Thursday said it fired a large rocket at Israel's Ramon airport near Eilat, where incoming passenger flights were diverted after waves of rocket launches towards the main airport near Tel Aviv.

A spokesperson for Hamas' armed wing announced the launch of the 250kg rocket and demanded that "all international airlines immediately halt their flights to any airports" in the Jewish state.

Hamas has fired over 1 600 rockets towards Israel since Monday, with the Israel military saying it struck Gaza targets over 600 times.

Earlier Thursday, Israel's civil aviation authority said it had diverted all incoming passenger flights headed for Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport to Ramon airport, as air raid warnings once more went off across Israel.

International carriers were meanwhile cancelling flights to Israel.

Spokespeople for United Airlines and American Airlines told AFP their flights from the US to Israel had been cancelled "through 15 May".

In Gaza, 83 people were reported killed since Monday, with seven killed on the Israeli side.

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